Eyecare | Diabetes Awareness

Eyecare

When living with Diabetes being conscious about your eyes will help with your over all health. The following are a few tips to help with proper eye care:

1. Keep your blood glucose levels down and your blood pressure under control

2. Stop smoking. This is key if you want to prevent eye-related diabets complications and improve your overall health.

3. To protect your eyes eat fish at least twice a week. The Omega-3's help protect your eyes.

4. Wash your hands when handling contact lenses.

5. Have a dilated eye exam every year by your eye care professional, this is important for early detection of diabetic retinopathy.

Having high blood pressure and high glucose levels when you have Diabetes can damage four parts of your eyes: the Lens, the Retina, the Vitreous, and the Optic Nerve.

The Lens is at the front of the eye and focuses light onto the retina.

The Retina is at the back of the eye and it senses the light that comes into the eye.

The Vitreous is the fluid that fills the back of the eye.

The Optic Nerve is the main nerve from the eye to the brain.

Some of the signs that may indicate you have damage to your eyes:

Blurry or Double Vision

Rings, Flashing lights, or Blank Spots

Dark or Floating Spots

Pain or Pressure in one or both eyes

Trouble seeing things out of the corners of your eyes.

Possible Damage to Your Eyes

Retinopathy is the leading eye disease within people with Diabetes. Retinopathy is when there has been damage to the retina and the blood vessels become weak and cause scaring or blood leaks into the vitreous blocking light from getting to the retina. It affects 23% of people with type 1 diabetes and 14% of people with type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Retinopathy